CAF Nations League

[Lou The Blue]

A few media outlets are reporting that the CAF Nations League will be announced on Friday at the group stage draw for the CAF Champions League. Earlier this week, at the U17 AFCON draw, these details were released to a select few:

League A (12 teams)

League A winner will play AFCON winner for a 'Super Cup' title.

Two relegation places.

Teams:

Algeria
Burkina Faso
Cameroon
Cape Verde
DR Congo
Egypt
Ghana
Morocco
Mali
Nigeria
Senegal
Tunisia

League B (8 teams)

Two promotion places
Two relegation places

Teams:

Benin
Congo
Ivory Coast
Gabon
Guinea
South Africa
Uganda
Zambia

League C (8 teams)

Two promotion places
Two relegation places

Teams:
Cameroon
Ethiopia
Liberia
Libya
Malawi
Seychelles
Sierra Leone
Tanzania

League D (8 teams)

Two promotion places

Teams:
Angola
Guinea-Bissau
Kenya
Madagascar
Mauritania
Niger
Togo
Zimbabwe

[Undertaker]

OK, and when and where will they play this so call "Nations League" games? There aren't enough FIFA windows to accommodate such a league in 2019

[Kako]

OK, and when and where will they play tho so call "Nations League" games? There aren't enough FIFA windows for accommodate such a league in 2019

They will probably use local league players for some of the matches.

[bret- hart]

Good idea on paper but will be very difficult to execute. Plus there is barely any time in the FIFA window unless CAF craps the CHAN and makes the AFCon Q4Years

[Enugu II]

First of all, I doubt the veracity of such reports of this league taking place in the next year. I state this because next year is bound to be crowded with the AFCON. Second, you just do not announce stuff like this without a lot of planning and preparatory announcements that help to publicize it as well as generate sponsorship. My thought, therefore, is that such a league has high probability but I will be shocked if the start date is in 2019. It seems to me that a 2020 date is more plausible or at best a late 2019 date.

Let me add that the thought of an African Nations League and/or a Global Nations League are nothing new. This was mentioned and discussed months ago on this site and I wrote a piece about it for ACLSports. What I do know is that FIFA has been unconvinced because of the competitive danger that it poses for its flagship event - World Cup. For Africa, an African Nations League has been discussed following encouragement from UEFA that wanted a buy-in as part of a collapsed support for the Global Nations League.

For those complaining about FIFA Window, you only have to look at how this happened in Europe. It will not be a full league where every team plays the other, Instead, it will be subdivided into groups in say three or four team groups in each division. Thus, the total number of games will actually be few.

What are the benefits? (1) additional sponsorship into coffers of CAF and the federations, (2) earn competition points towards FIFA ranking that international friendlies cannot provide, (3) if a Global League takes effect, then the champion and higher ranked teams have opportunity to win an expanded Confederations Cup at the Global Level.

My tuppence.

A few media outlets are reporting that the CAF Nations League will be announced on Friday at the group stage draw for the CAF Champions League. Earlier this week, at the U17 AFCON draw, these details were released to a select few:

League A (12 teams)

League A winner will play AFCON winner for a 'Super Cup' title.

Two relegation places.

Teams:

Algeria
Burkina Faso
Cameroon
Cape Verde
DR Congo
Egypt
Ghana
Morocco
Mali
Nigeria
Senegal
Tunisia

League B (8 teams)

Two promotion places
Two relegation places

Teams:

Benin
Congo
Ivory Coast
Gabon
Guinea
South Africa
Uganda
Zambia

League C (8 teams)

Two promotion places
Two relegation places

Teams:
Cameroon
Ethiopia
Liberia
Libya
Malawi
Seychelles
Sierra Leone
Tanzania

League D (8 teams)

Two promotion places

Teams:
Angola
Guinea-Bissau
Kenya
Madagascar
Mauritania
Niger
Togo
Zimbabwe

[vancity eagle]

Cameroon would be in league A because it is based on FIFA rank so something is off.

[vancity eagle]

Good idea on paper but will be very difficult to execute. Plus there is barely any time in the FIFA window unless CAF craps the CHAN and makes the AFCon Q4Years

I just checked an article posted on Wikipedia and it says it will begin Aug 2019 so basically the first FIFA window after the ANC. This actually makes perfect sense. It would be great if they somehow could incorporate this into WCQ OR AT LEAST ANCQ.

This is great news IMO and great for African football. Good on them to follow suit after Uefa and concacaf are doing the same.

[ohenhen1]

This should be the format for the world cup qualifiers or similar.

[Damunk]

Cameroon would be in league A because it is based on FIFA rank so something is off.

He's got Cameroon in both League A and League C.
Maybe they're considering French Cameroon for one and English Cameroon for the other.

[vancity eagle]

In fact for those saying there is not enough time, well there clearly is. I assume they will be 4 team groups meaning 6 games which can take place over 3 FIFA windows with double headers. The finals can take place on an additional window. 2019 after the ANC will have Sep, Oct, and Nov windows so theoretically the group phase could wrap up as early as the end of 2019. If I were CAF I would use this to substitute as qualifying for 2021 ANC. This would keep Africa's best sides more competitive playing each other.

[Bigpokey24]

This is a welcome development. As long as SE remains in League A, I am fine with it...it replaces friendlies, and helps with prepping team chemistry

[Eaglezbeak]

OK, and when and where will they play this so call "Nations League" games? There aren't enough FIFA windows to accommodate such a league in 2019

I think the 12 team league will be broken into 3 groups of 4 and the 8 team group broken into 2 groups 4 etc.
If they follow the same dates that everyone else does they'll be fine after all UEFA and Concacaf (who may be able to fit more dates in for smaller nations with no players outside their continent) have successfully done it!

[bret- hart]

So what is the endgame? Automatic Afcon qualification?

[YemiBrazil]

Why is Uganda high up in League B when their peers like Kenya and Madagascar are in League D? This should be corrected.

[Kabalega]

Africa does not need this tournament. Our priorities are different.
This tournament would favour the so called "big boys" at a time when the "minnows" are making great progress and increasing competition in Africa.

Why always copy Europe anyway? This is the one time Europe copied Africa by adding competitive games to their schedule which Africa already does with CHAN. So for Africa to scrap what is working for them just to copy Europe for the sake of it, is sheer stupidity.

BTW, what are Cape Verde, Burkina Faso and a certain country that failed to make it to 2 straight AFCONs recently, doing in League A, while the likes of Ivory Coast are in B?

[Rawlings]

Africa just copies without thinking

We have ANC every other year
The European championship is once 4 years and that's one reason they came up with the league

[TonyTheTigerKiller]

It’s possible there’s a plan to stage AFCON once every 4 years. I think there’s a lot if merit to the idea. One huge benefit would be the development of Africa based players


Cheers.

[TonyTheTigerKiller]

It’s possible there’s a plan to stage AFCON once every 4 years. I think there’s a lot if merit to the idea. One huge benefit would be the development of Africa based players


Cheers.

[vancity eagle]

Africa does not need this tournament. Our priorities are different.
This tournament would favour the so called "big boys" at a time when the "minnows" are making great progress and increasing competition in Africa.

Why always copy Europe anyway? This is the one time Europe copied Africa by adding competitive games to their schedule which Africa already does with CHAN. So for Africa to scrap what is working for them just to copy Europe for the sake of it, is sheer stupidity.

BTW, what are Cape Verde, Burkina Faso and a certain country that failed to make it to 2 straight AFCONs recently, doing in League A, while the likes of Ivory Coast are in B?

We are not just "copying europe" Concacaf also has the same and I assume that both conembol and aFC will follow suit. THis is the way world soccer is moving and we should congradulate CAF for being ahead of the game instead of waiting around like fools.

The CHAN should not even be counted for FIFA rankings as far as I am concerned, it is actually detrimental to the top teams. Frankly I dont give a damn about the CHAN.

Burkina Faso finished #3 in the last ANC, but Cape Verde I am not sure why they are there opposed to CIV. I thought these were based on FIFA rankings, but CIV is in the top 12 while CApe Verde is not.

[vancity eagle]

Africa just copies without thinking

We have ANC every other year
The European championship is once 4 years and that's one reason they came up with the league

The entire group stage of this competition can take place over just 3 fifa windows.

This takes place between mid 2019 all the way to 2021. There is plenty of time, and in fact if done properly this can serve as qualifying or an initial stage of qualifying for 2021 ANC.

There will eventually be a GLOBAL nations league which will feature the top teams from all confederations. The writing is on the wall, why should we be left behind.

I dont understand why more competative matches against stronger teams, which will allow African teams to climb up the fifa rankings is a bad thing.

[vancity eagle]

It’s possible there’s a plan to stage AFCON once every 4 years. I think there’s a lot if merit to the idea. One huge benefit would be the development of Africa based players


Cheers.

It is possible that we may switch to an ACN every 4 years. Concacaf is the only other confederation that has their competition every 2 years.

Frankly we have enough time in the calander to have a competition every 2 years along with the nations league. The nations league does not take up that much time if you have a double header every window, like Uefa just did.

How will the nations league benefit the development of Africa based players ?

[Rawlings]

Africa just copies without thinking

We have ANC every other year
The European championship is once 4 years and that's one reason they came up with the league

The entire group stage of this competition can take place over just 3 fifa windows.
This takes place between mid 2019 all the way to 2021. There is plenty of time, and in fact if done properly this can serve as qualifying or an initial stage of qualifying for 2021 ANC.
There will eventually be a GLOBAL nations league which will feature the top teams from all confederations. The writing is on the wall, why should we be left behind.
I dont understand why more competative matches against stronger teams, which will allow African teams to climb up the fifa rankings is a bad thing.

Really?

• 2019 - AFCON 2019 qualification & Tournament; CHAN 2020 qualifications
  2020 - AFCON 2021 qualification, CHAN 2020 qualification & tournament, World cup 2022 qualification
  2021 - World cup 2022 qualification & AFCON 2021 qualification

when do we have time?

[Kabalega]

Africa does not need this tournament. Our priorities are different.
This tournament would favour the so called "big boys" at a time when the "minnows" are making great progress and increasing competition in Africa.

Why always copy Europe anyway? This is the one time Europe copied Africa by adding competitive games to their schedule which Africa already does with CHAN. So for Africa to scrap what is working for them just to copy Europe for the sake of it, is sheer stupidity.

BTW, what are Cape Verde, Burkina Faso and a certain country that failed to make it to 2 straight AFCONs recently, doing in League A, while the likes of Ivory Coast are in B?

We are not just "copying europe" Concacaf also has the same and I assume that both conembol and aFC will follow suit. THis is the way world soccer is moving and we should congradulate CAF for being ahead of the game instead of waiting around like fools.

The CHAN should not even be counted for FIFA rankings as far as I am concerned, it is actually detrimental to the top teams. Frankly I dont give a damn about the CHAN.

Burkina Faso finished #3 in the last ANC, but Cape Verde I am not sure why they are there opposed to CIV. I thought these were based on FIFA rankings, but CIV is in the top 12 while CApe Verde is not.

Africa does not need this tournament at a time when Madagascar, Mauritius, Cape Verde, e.t.c are making serious improvements.
This tournament will slow down any progress and decrease competition among CAF nations.

Just looking at the so called league teams. Half the teams in league B can beat anybody in League A, but guess what, only 2 or 3 will make it to League A while mediocre teams in League A will be protected from relegation and continue enjoying fake FIFA rankings.
What it will end up doing is protecting entrenched mediocre teams that fail that avoid relegation while hurting good ones in the lower league.

This system works in Europe where 5-6 teams are really good while the rest are average to piss poor. Ditto in CONCACAF.
CAF on the other hand is now seeing more parity among nations.

We do not need this tournament!

The only advantage it would have is force NTs that do not play friendlies to be more active in FIFA windows but many don't play friendlies due to lack of funds. This would put an extra burden on them.

We need African solutions not just copying others willy nilly.